When my wife and I are on holidays we sometimes visit the local cemetery to learn something of a town’s history. One cemetery that we visited in rural New South Wales was a little different. It was divided into three separately fenced zones with about a hundred feet of clear land between each zone. On reading the inscriptions, it soon became apparent that it was divided according to religion. The fences around the zones would not be to keep people in or out, so they must have been to emphasise a separation that probably reflected social problems in the town’s history.Childhood memories came back to me of the bad feeling between Protestants and Catholics that was common in the mid 2oth century and had only fairly recently eased. There were many zones that we Catholics didn’t dare enter, such as Protestant church services. Even hymns were zoned as Protestant or Catholic and we were forbidden to sing Protestant hymns. Fortunately, most of that has now disappeared and the various Christian denominations even hold joint services.Creating zones and erecting fences around them may be justified for protecting private property and marking out boundaries of ownership or responsibility but, in regard to beliefs and values, defensiveness is a sign of not being open to change. The harder we defend beliefs and values, the higher the fence gets, and the harder it is for us to escape from the prison we create.We should be able to explain why we hold those beliefs and values and steadfastly hold onto them, because they guide us in making decisions in life. But all things change, and none of us is perfect, so we should be open to modifying or changing our beliefs and values when we are presented with a compelling, more plausible explanation. That doesn’t necessarily lead to changing religions; it usually results in a richer understanding, and appreciation, of religion in general; as well as creating a bigger zone, uniting more people.Bob Myers, author of Travelling the Road of Peace and Happiness.

I don't believe I made it to your blog during the A/Z challenge, but I'm making it a point to visit those who signed up for the road trip :)

I think I would have found that cemetery interesting with the division by religions.

I'm glad there is coming less division between Catholic and Protestant and that churches are coming together no matter what the denomination to worship together, etc. In our town tonight will be a Night of Worship held at the courthouse square where many local churches are participating. I think we who believe need to remember there is only one really true church with Jesus as the head :)

Hello there.
I'd never heard of this "zone" separating before. It's interesting that instead of bringing people together, today's religions actually divide. So how are we to know which religion is right? The answer is quite simple really...true religion bases not just some, but <b>all</b> of its teachings on the Bible and not on man-made doctrines and traditions (Matthew 7:13-15, 21-23; 15:3, 6-9). Love amongst each other must also be an identifying factor (John 13:35).
Just popping over today from the Road Trip.

I agree with what you mean but at the same time I believe all faiths hold part of the truth. Therefore, no one religion is the true religion. Unfortunately, each religion both unites, and divides, people.

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Bob Myers owned and operated an electronics sales and service business before gaining a degree in sociology and further training in relationship counselling, conflict resolution and mediation. He worked in that field for more than thirty years, mainly with teenagers and their families. For 16 years he was the director of a non-government residential facility for teenagers. He is the author of three books on parenting as well as :Travelling the Road of Peace and Happiness.

Bob is dedicated to nonviolence as a way of life; a founding member of Pace e Bene Australia (PeBA); and a PeBA nonviolence facilitator.